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Combat
Conflict is everywhere, it is all around us, and sometimes it cannot be avoided. For some, the thought of exchanging blows with another is an unspeakable tragedy just waiting to happen, while others openly relish the prospects of seeking out and conquering even greater challenges. There are even a few who experience battle as if it were second nature to them, devoting the whole of their entire lives for this one single purpose. On PRODIGIOUS™, it should come as no surprise to anyone that combat will play a central role in their character's adventures throughout the game. While some of these guidelines may apply to humans in a broad sense, this thread predominately focuses on how Digimon experience this aspect of their everyday life. Battles within the game world are freeform and controlled through the input of all players involved — sometimes, our team of appointed Loremasters may shake things up a little with the inclusion of a wild Digimon or a gaggle of generic Tamers looking to start some trouble. But before we elaborate any further on the finer details, the staff of PRODIGIOUS™ have taken the initiative to develop a series of rules and regulations that must be followed when planning out or participating in any combat scenario. Failure to memorize and apply these guidelines, or willful malfeasance toward the issue, will require us to take appropriate corrective or disciplinary action as needed. • You are not impervious to negative outcomes. In-game this is called "god-moding" and refers to any instance where a player attempts to blatantly cheat, disregard, contradict, or otherwise undermine all forms of common sense or courtesy in order to avoid an undesired or ill-favored result. • You cannot implement knowledge from beyond the fourth wall. This is called "metagaming" in practice and describes a player's attempts to have their character access or use information which would normally be outside of their own realm of awareness or otherwise unavailable to them in the current moment. • Your character is the only one you have direct control of. Attempts to invalidate or assume direct command over the decisions, thoughts, or feelings of another character without that player's consent or awareness is called "auto-gaming", and also refers to the general negation of a player's sense of agency in a thread. • You are not the authority on how combat should be expressed. This is closely related to our "rule-sharking" policy as outlined in our general Rules page, and refers to any instance where a player attempts to harass, undermine, contradict, or otherwise take advantage of the established rules to force a favorable outcome or decision. • You are sorely mistaken if you believe cheating equals cleverness. In context, this is called "loophole abuse" and, much like the rule above, refers to any instance where a player attempts to exploit, circumvent, manipulate, or capitalize on an existing or perceived flaw in the established roleplaying guidelines for the express purpose of gaining an unfair advantage over another player. Affinities Every Digimon is inherently programmed to exhibit one of the thirteen elemental attributes listed above, henceforth referred to as "Affinities", as both an expression of the numerous kinds of damage they are able to inflict in battle, and as a generalized interpretation of their unique biology as creatures of data. These affinities are listed in the following order, from left to right: Neutral, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Wood, Metal, Lightning, Ice, Mental, Garbage, Darkness, and Light. Upon first creating your Digimon, it is necessary to understand how you want their combat abilities to be displayed. Each form they have access to is programmed with one dominant Affinity that serves to determine the type of damage their standard attacks inflict on their foes. Additionally, these play a critical role in determining your Digimon's inherent resistance or weakness towards certain types of elemental damage. Each form may have one Resistance and two Weaknesses, or two Resistances and four Weaknesses. A Digimon cannot begin with the Negate Affinity ability and must purchase this privilege — a Mega level Digimon, on the other hand, is allowed one free Negate Affinity of their choice. The Neutral affinity, also sometimes called "non-elemental", is the only affinity among the thirteen that cannot be chosen to represent a Resistance, Negate, or Weakness; it is raw data in its natural state and is entirely unaffected by abilities or techniques designed to mitigate or nullify elemental damage. It can, however, be selected as an Affinity for standard attacks. Damage Scale The combat mechanics of PRODIGIOUS™ are modulated using two distinctive system features: the Damage Scale, and Roll Chances. Each one of these act as separate components for attacks, effects, abilities, conditions, and even the many available cards that can end up at your character's disposal. Both human beings and Digimon have their strength measured using this mechanic, and in the latter's case, each level of Digivolution also has their power gauged this way. The Damage Scale is our formally recognized power-scaling system that we use to determine just how mighty a technique can possibly be. Each step on the Damage Scale is called a "grade", and are meant to loosely represent the amount of energy and exertion a Digimon (or human, for that matter) must put forward to perform a technique, which is directly proportionate to the damage it will end up inflicting as a result. Each of the grades are listed below, from the smallest value to the largest, both in terms of actual damage as well as the amount of complexity to the move and effort it takes to inflict its intended amount of harm: Minor Small Moderate Heavy Massive Roll Chances Roll Chances are a separate measurement system that can also apply to attacks, effects, abilities and cards, except these refer to the likelihood that such a move will activate or impart an attached effect. Roll Chances incorporate a 100-sided die, henceforth known as a "d100" for ease of reference, to determine the probability that a move's appended effect will trigger successfully. Unlike the Damage Scale, each level of likelihood are called "odds" instead, which represent the numbers that must be rolled between in order for its associated properties to activate and are listed below, from the lowest probability to the highest: Low (roll between 0 - 20) Average (roll between 0 - 40) Excellent (roll between 0 - 60) Outstanding (roll between 0 - 80) Both of these systems are meant to create a type of "soft balance" for players regarding how to understand and express their own Digimon's moves under free-form writing conditions; bear in mind that common sense must still be applied when creating your profiles – a Digimon wanting to inflict Massive damage, for example, must also be willing to exert that amount of effort to make sure the job truly gets done, and it is highly unlikely that such a technique also comes without sizable penalties. Humans VS Digimon On a related subject, humans and Digimon approach combat in vastly different ways to accommodate for their own distinctive physiobiological needs and functions, and the game mechanics as described above also serves as a literary reference marker for determining how both species are so, so very separate from one another. The average human adult, assuming an active lifestyle and a series of consistently healthy choices, will roughly share the physical strength of a Digimon of the Rookie level, meaning if two specimens of each kind were to suddenly start trading physical blows with one another, the fight could reasonably go either way as long as one doesn't take any special modifiers, penalties, resistances, immunities, or weaknesses into consideration. While it is not necessarily forbidden for humans or Rookie Digimon to beat each other to a bloody pulp, it isn't entirely the wisest course of action half of the time. Once a Digimon reaches the Champion level or higher, things are different. For starters, each individual level in the Digivolution cycle has a data consumption rate approximately seven times that of the level previous to the one being examined, which means even the most well-developed human athlete on Earth will never be able to stand on equal footing with a Champion Digimon in terms of raw power; attempting to aim for loftier targets would only be suicidal. This is also rings true for the Digimon themselves, as each level in their growth is also an approximation of their own lethality against one another, whether their opponent shares the same level or not. As a general rule of thumb, a single Digimon cannot realistically expect to inflict any amount of damage whatsoever to a solitary Digimon of one level higher – but the higher-leveled Digimon will always inflict its full damage to the lower-leveled one. To illustrate this concept as transparently as we can, the PRODIGIOUS™ staff team have implemented an idea called the "Seventh Factor", which is meant to act as an additional balancing measure that aims to discourage solitary cross-level combat and promote a more mindful approach towards how battles are performed within the game world. Using a ratio of seven-to-one, 7:1, it would require a minimum of seven Digimon of the same Digivolution level using massive-grade attacks to successfully make a mark against a Digimon of one level higher. The most prominent example of this can be found in the very first episode of Digimon Adventure, where seven Rookie Digimon combined their strength with each of their signature attacks to fend off Kuwagamon, a Champion. However, a Digimon that has reached the Mega level has achieved a power human technology cannot rival, let alone protect itself against; not even the destructive force of nuclear fire itself could take down the most terrible and malignant of these near-unstoppable creatures – only another Digimon of the Mega level could possibly hope to stand a chance against one. Various abilities, effects, modifiers, penalties, or the imprinted codes found in Digi-Modify cards can alter the way the Damage Scale and Roll Chances affect the ever-changing nature of battle, so be sure to keep up to speed with any modifications or changes that are made to how this system is used all over PRODIGIOUS™ through our Updates & Announcements board. Conditions Additionally, a Digimon's moves can exhibit unique attributes or qualities that are formally known as "Conditions", but can also refer to the term "status effect" as per the traditional roleplaying jargon. On PRODIGIOUS™ we employ four varieties of Conditions: Simple, Complex, Beneficial, and Field. Each have been separated by category and explained in further detail below. Simple Conditions • Simple Conditions are precisely as it says on the tin: simple conditions that pose as a slight annoyance to a Digimon's efficacy in battle. These are much easier to remove and eliminate, as most Digimon learn to develop appropriate countermeasures against such effects. Addle: Whenever the affected target attacks or uses a move, its recipient is chosen at random from all available participants, including the user. Should the attack or move target the user, they receive damage at two grades lower than its listed Damage Scale. Bleed: Whenever the affected target performs any action, they sustain Minor damage that is scaled to their own Digivolution level. Blindness: Whenever the affected target attacks or uses a move, there is an Outstanding chance that it will fail to connect with its target. Burn: Each turn, the target sustains Minor damage that is scaled to their own Digivolution level, and any further damage received from the affliction's precise source is treated as if it were one grade higher than its listed Damage Scale. Chill: Each turn, there is an Average chance that the affected target will refuse or be unable to move or perform any action due to bitter coldness. Drenched: Attacks or moves of the Fire, Earth, or Metal affinities have their Damage Scales lowered by two grades while those of the Water, Wood, or Lightning affinities have theirs increased by two grades. Paralysis: Each turn, there is an Average chance that the affected target will be unable to move or perform any action, and their attacks or moves with a physical component have their Damage Scales lowered by one grade. Poison: Each turn, the affected target sustains Minor damage that is scaled to their own Digivolution level. Sleep: Each turn, the affected target cannot move or take any action until they either wake up on their own or when an enemy attack connects. Slow: The affected target's movement and attack speed is reduced by 50%, and evasion becomes impossible. Complex Conditions • Complex Conditions are more advanced than their weaker counterparts, and subsequently more debilitating in their long-term influence. These are a little trickier to remove naturally, and often requires external support or specialized defenses. Berserk: The affected target inflicts and receives all types of damage two grades higher than their listed Damage Scales, and there is an Outstanding chance that they will refuse to quit attacking their enemy. Break: The affected target is unable to block attacks or use defensive moves. Charm: The affected target can be instructed by the one who inflicted this effect to carry out any instructions that does not force a direct injury against them. If ordered to attack an ally, there is an Outstanding chance for Charm to end prematurely each time this occurs; if attacked in kind, the effect also ends. Crash: The affected target has a random selection of their attacks or abilities rendered inert and unable to be used, and any Beneficial Conditions currently present on them are also removed. Despair: Each turn, there is an Excellent chance that the affected target will refuse or be unable to perform any action or attack, and any attacks or moves they subsequently attempt to perform have an Excellent chance to fail altogether. Enfeeble: The affected target's Damage Scales for all attacks or moves they perform are reduced by one grade, and any damage sustained from an enemy's attacks or moves is increased by one grade. Fear: Each turn, there is an Average chance that the affected target will refuse or be unable to perform any action, or attempt to run away from combat. Freeze: The affected target is immobilized in place and unable to take any action whatsoever. Any damage sustained from an enemy's attacks or moves is automatically increased to Massive, but prematurely ends Freeze; if this affliction is caused by an Ice affinity attack or move, any damage from a Fire affinity attack or move ends the effect. Pain: Whenever the target attacks or uses a move with a physical component, they sustain damage at one grade lower than its listed Damage Scale. Reboot: The affected target is forced out of Digivolution and back to its previous level, if possible, and prevents any further attempts to Digivolve to a higher level. Wound: The affected target cannot utilize or be affected by healing, restorative, or recovery abilities and effects. Beneficial Conditions • Beneficial Conditions are the polar antithesis to the above lists of detrimental afflictions, and serve to enhance or augment a Digimon's combat performance even further. These are somewhat rarer to come across and are typically associated with passive or support-oriented fighting styles. Affinity Resistance / Negation: The affected target receives passive resilience or complete immunity to any and all damage of a specified Affinity. In the case of Affinity Resistance, it automatically reduces the Damage Scale of attacks or abilities of the listed Affinity used against them by two grades. Affinity Absorption: The affected target converts any and all damage received from attacks or moves of a specified Affinity into restorative health. Condition Resistance / Immunity: The affected target receives passive resilience or immunity to a specified Condition. In the case of Condition Resistance, it automatically reduces its Roll Chance to successfully impose the effect against them to Low. Cheer: The affected target's Damage Scales for all attacks or moves they perform are increased by one grade. Float: The affected target levitates above ground and becomes immune to all damage from attacks or moves of the Earth affinity and are not penalized by the Quake Field Condition, but sustains Heavy damage from attacks or moves of the Wind affinity. Haste: The affected target's attack and movement speed is increased by 50%. Invisible: The affected target vanishes and cannot be seen with the naked eye or targeted by attacks and moves with a physical component. The effect expires when the affected target performs any action or sustains damage from a non-physical attack or move. Protect: The affected target sustains any damage from an enemy's attacks or moves at one grade lower than its listed Damage Scale. Reflect: The affected target bounces any and all damage from an enemy's non-physical attacks or moves back to their attacker at one grade higher than its listed Damage Scale. Regen: The affected target gradually recovers and replenishes their health. Screen: The affected target is able to negate any and all damage from a predefined number of attacks or moves of a specified Damage Scale or lower before Screen expires. Any damage sustained from an attack or move that is of a higher grade than Screen's established parameters automatically ends the effect. Field Conditions • Field Conditions are incredibly powerful effects that alter the very terrain itself in such a way that only the strongest or hardiest of Digimon can survive. As such, these are only available for use by Ultimate level Digimon or higher. Each Field Condition is associated with one of the elemental Affinities. Inferno: The arena is overtaken by a sea of roaring fire. Digimon without a resistance or immunity to the Fire affinity receive damage from all related sources at one grade higher than their listed Damage Scales, and those without resistance or immunity to the Burn condition have an Outstanding chance to be afflicted with Burn each turn, which cannot be healed or removed until safe passage is secured or Inferno expires. Torrent: A great deluge of rainfall sweeps across the arena. Digimon that are capable of flight become unable to do so, and the Damage Scales of attacks and moves that are not of the Water affinity are reduced by one grade; those of the Fire or Metal affinities are reduced by two grades instead, while attacks and moves of the Lightning affinity is automatically raised to Massive. Each turn, all Digimon that are not of the Water affinity have an Outstanding chance to be afflicted with the Drenched effect until Torrent expires. Quake: Immense tectonic shifts cause the arena to convulse and tremble violently. Digimon that are either incapable of flight or not of the Earth affinity have their movement speed reduced by 50% while contact with the ground remains in established, and each turn, they have an Excellent chance of being unable to take any action until Quake expires. Tornado: The arena is visited by a destructive cyclone of pressurized wind. Digimon that are capable of flight but not of the Wind affinity suffer a constant Slow effect, while those who are receive a constant Haste effect until Tornado expires. Overgrowth: The arena suddenly fills with incredibly dense plant matter. Digimon that are not of the Wood affinity receive a constant Poison effect that slowly drains their health as long as they remain within the affected area, and those that are of the Wood affinity are bestowed with a perpetual Regen effect until Overgrowth expires. Circuitry: Electronic components spread throughout the arena from somewhere in the Network. Digimon that are not of the Metal affinity sustain damage from all related attacks and moves at one grade higher than their listed Damage Scales, and also have an Outstanding chance to be afflicted with the Crash condition each turn until Circuitry expires. Thunderstorm: The arena becomes charged with powerful electromagnetic disturbances as storm clouds roll overhead. Digimon that are of the Lightning affinity have an Outstanding chance to receive Haste each turn, while all other Digimon without resistance or immunity to Lightning damage or the Paralysis condition have an Outstanding chance to be afflicted with Paralysis in addition to any damage they receive from related attacks and moves until Thunderstorm expires. Blizzard: A frigid snowstorm and chilling winds mercilessly sweeps across the arena. Digimon without a resistance or immunity to the Ice affinity receive damage from all related sources at one grade higher than their listed Damage Scales, and those without resistance or immunity to the Chill condition have an Outstanding chance to be afflicted with Chill each turn, which cannot be healed or removed until safe passage is secured or Blizzard expires. Mindscape: Overwhelming psychokinetic energies saturate the arena to where the fabric of space itself seems to buckle and warp. Addle, Berserk, Cheer, Charm, Despair, Fear, and Sleep effects last twice as long and have their Roll Chances to successfully inflict these conditions increased to Outstanding until Mindscape expires. Landfill: The arena becomes a junkyard cluttered with piles upon piles of disgusting refuse from both worlds. Digimon that are of the Garbage affinity have an Outstanding chance to receive a single random beneficial condition each turn, while all other Digimon have an Outstanding chance to receive a single random negative condition each turn until Landfill expires. Corruption: Absolute darkness falls over the field to obscure vision and disorient the senses. Any Digimon that is not of the Darkness affinity are automatically afflicted with Blindness as long as they occupy the affected area, and any damage sustained from all related attacks or moves are raised one grade higher than their listed Damage Scales until Corruption expires. Tranquility: A shroud of holy luminescence washes over the field with inviting warmth. While in effect, those within its area of influence are forbidden from taking any hostile or aggressive action against one another, even should they leave the field to strike those within it, until Tranquility expires. Wager Battles On PRODIGIOUS™ we also offer the option to participate in a special variation of normal combat that allows all players seeking even further opportunity for reward to place wagers with one another and gamble for additional Bits. Before any bets can be made, all players that wish to participate must consent to this form of combat and specify an amount of money they wish to place their stakes on, then notify a Lorekeeper or another available member of our staff team to moderate the battle accordingly. Once these conditions are met, combat begins! Players conduct their turns exactly as they would in any other situation, with the exception of one key difference — at the end of each of their turns, players roll 1d20''n'', where n'' is your Digimon's current Digivolution level value (listed below), then use the Roll Chances to calculate whether or not your attack succeeds at connecting with your intended target. Fresh and In-Trainings: 0 Rookie: 1 Champion: 2 Ultimate: 3 Mega: 4 The value ''n also applies to the number of attacks a Digimon can withstand before they are defeated, plus one. For example, an average Rookie Digimon is able to sustain damage from up to 2 attacks before it is defeated and can no longer participate. Furthermore, certain instances may allow a Digimon to receive a +5 modifier to their attack rolls, such as the use of a Skill or Assist Card, or an attack that corresponds to one (or more) of the enemy's listed Weaknesses. However, using an attack or a card that corresponds to an enemy's Resistances will incur a –5 penalty instead. Each of these modifiers and penalties accrue with one another when calculating the final number of your roll. The last Digimon to be left standing is declared the winner and entitled to rightfully claim the spoils of their conquest.